Indiana § 10-17-1-10 - Service officer training and accreditation

§ 10-17-1-10. Service officer training and accreditation

Sec. 10. (a) Within thirty (30) days of their employment, new county or city service officers must attend a new service officer orientation presented by the department to assist veterans and their dependents and survivors. The curriculum for the new service officer orientation shall be set forth by the commission in accordance with section 4 of this chapter.

(b) An individual employed as a state, county, or city service officer under this chapter is required to become accredited by the department not later than six (6) months from the date of the individual's employment.

(c) Annually, all state, county, or city service officers shall undergo a course of training to adequately address problems of discharged veterans in the service officer's county, or city, including a thorough familiarization with laws, rules, and regulations of the federal government and the state that affect benefits to which the veterans and dependents of the veterans are entitled. After a service officer has undergone this sustainment training and successfully passed a written test, the service officer shall be reaccredited to assist veterans for the following year.

(d) Not later than January 1, 2026, the standards for accreditation approved by the commission must include:

(1) receipt of a federal personal identification verification (PIV) card;

(2) standards of performance and key performance indicators which may include:

(A) the number of veterans assisted;

(B) the types of benefit claims filed and the success rates for those claims;

(C) outreach initiatives conducted; or

(D) any other standard or indicator required by the commission;

(3) minimum training requirements;

(4) testing requirements; and

(5) periodic service officer reporting requirements.

(e) The commission shall also develop protocols for revoking a service officer's accreditation in the event the service officer is not compliant with the requirements established in subsection (d).

[Pre-2003 Recodification Citation: 10-5-1-12.]

As added by P.L.2-2003, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.169-2013, SEC.3; P.L.99-2016, SEC.5; P.L.42-2020, SEC.5; P.L.203-2025, SEC.6.